Swollen Feet After Hiking?

I'm sure you've pondered it as you peeled off your stinky socks and gazed upon the huge blood vessels snaking across your tired feet.

(Sorry if that was too much information, but it's true, right?)

But swelling up is what brought you here, and sometimes it's not pretty.

Disclaimer

None of the information on this website is medical advice.

Use your own judgment, and visit your health care team for guidance and treatment.

Why feet swell inside hiking boots

There are 3 things going on here.

Thing 1

When you first pull on your hiking socks and thrust your feet into your hiking boots or trail shoes, you put pressure on the soft tissues and blood vessels in your feet.

Normal blood flow is changed by this compression.

You may have "sock impressions" on your skin at the end of the day, especially from the elasticized tops.

Trail tip:

Make
sure your socks aren't TOO tight, using the impressions-o-meter I just
invented: deep grooves cut into your skin means you need different hiking socks.

Thing 2

As you hike, your blood vessels enlarge
(increase in diameter) to bring more blood to your muscles, but this
can lead to watery fluid escaping from the bloodstream and into the
tissue spaces in your toes and ankles.

This fluid accumulation, called peripheral edema, is a normal process.

Within a few hours of removing your socks and footwear, especially if you elevate your feet, the fluid should have returned to the bloodstream.

The swelling will diminish and disappear as the fluid is returned to the blood stream (thanks, lymphatic system!)

Thing 3

And the third factor in developing puffiness in the feet while hiking?

Your foot and ankle are bearing a heavy load under gravity, so fluid can pool in your ankles and toes when you don't sit down for several hours in a row.

Taking brief rest breaks and stopping for lunch are not enough time for the fluid to redistribute.

So your feet will look swollen when your boots or trail shoes come off at the end of the hike.

So is this a normal part of hiking?

For
most hikers with normal circulation, mildly puffy feet or swollen legs after hiking are nothing out of the
ordinary.

This is especially true if you were on your feet for most of
the day, wearing socks and trail footwear.

Lie
down and prop up your feet at a level above your heart. Use your backpack or bunched up clothing
to make this more comfortable.

Ask your hiking buddy to bring you some water and a tasty snack as you recline :)

Be
sure your feet really are higher than your heart. This might feel weird,
having your head lower than your feet, but in the short term it
helps the fluid drain from your extremities.

Cold compresses can help decrease the swelling more quickly. Use icy cold stream water in your water bottle, a snow patch and your bandanna, or on demand activated cold packs from your first aid kit.

If you're really thinking ahead to those swollen feet, you can use the ice from the cooler you stashed in your car at the trail head.

As
you're lying there, consider whether your hiking footwear is too
tight, or your lacing system too extreme. You might want to change
that up a little and see if the swelling problem in your feet and
ankles improves.

Review your dietary intake of salt over the past few days, including this one. If you like salty food, you will retain water and have puffiness not only in your feet but face, hands, fingers and elsewhere.

She’s
been on a hiking trail somewhere in the world for nearly five
decades, & loves to share her best hiking tips right here.

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